Depression

Depression is state where a person feels sadness, hopelessness, or numbness that is persistently present for a period of 2 weeks. These feelings are often accompanied by avoidance of people, friends, family, as well as a loss of interest in things they used to enjoy. It brings on a sense of loss of who that person believes themselves to be. Sleep patterns can be disturbed with persistent sleep, or lack of sleep due to ruminating thoughts or fears. As symptoms begin to mount sometimes a sort of “brain fog” sets in, diminished ability to concentrate, indecisiveness, and possibly mounting frustration that the person as well as others may begin to notice. Depression is a sickness that begins to build momentum and sometimes can go unnoticed for long periods of time. People merely begin to let important things in their life begin to slowly fall away. Whether it be the usual weekly night out with friends, or a nightly workout. Slowly their life begins to lack direction and meaning to them. At choices we want to educate our patients on the debilitating effects of depression and guide them to rebuild their life into something positive and meaningful.

Anxiety

When we think about stress and anxiety the first thing that usually comes to mind is that they are feelings we typically want to avoid. However, stress and some aspects of anxiety are useful for our everyday lives. In small doses it helps us perform better in our jobs, on tests, keeps us alert, and signals us to danger when it exists. The problem is when anxiety gets to the point where it comes overwhelming to the mind and the body. Anxiety disorders usually occur from a combination of life circumstances and biology. It comes in the form of excessive worry and fear that can interfere with a person’s daily life. It can inhibit work performance, our ability to connect with others or even in some cases lead to Panic Attacks and harmful Isolation and disengagement from the outside world. It also should be mentioned that when people suffer from these symptoms over time, it can also bring about depression and overall feeling of hopelessness. At Choices we understand the overwhelming feeling of dealing with these symptoms and we empathetically teach our Patients the latest techniques and research on overcoming anxiety. People will learn what triggers it, what contributes to an increase symptoms, and how to quickly work on symptoms reduction. With patience and practice, overtime we believe individuals can learn how to utilize stress and anxiety as an important tool in their journey towards wellness.